Machine High
by jakela
Summary: Carolinagirl919 has created another great challenge on the POI Discussion Forum: Now that John, Harold, Sam, and Root have to live under new identities in plain sight, what kind of jobs will they have? - Thinking about their new identities got me wondering how would our folks have met if they were in different jobs? This silliness is the result.
1. Chapter 1

Carolinagirl919 has created another great challenge on the POI Discussion Forum: Now that John, Harold, Sam, and Root have to live under new identities in plain sight, what kind of jobs will they have? Pick the most ridiculous, random, and outlandish normal job you'd think "Team Machine" would have under their new aliases.

Thinking about their new identities got me thinking about their jobs in general and I wondered how would our folks have met if they were in different jobs? Getting carried away, I started thinking about them all working at a private high school and this silliness is the result.

**Finch – Football Coach.** Some say that he has a pipeline to the spirit of Vince Lombardi, because he seems to know all of the opposing teams' plays, right before each game. He has all of this weird stuff in his office, including an old telephone booth, and almost had a meltdown when it disappeared for a few days while his office was being moved right before the state championship. His team recently surpassed De La Salle High School* for the longest winning streak in the US.

**Fusco – Counselor.** Amazingly effective, he simply listens while a student pours their heart out, then says "You want a soda or somethin'?" **

**Bear – Security.** He roams the halls like the cat Mrs. Norris in the _Harry Potter_ series, but dispenses a certain 'sharp edged' justice to perpetrators rather than running back to his master. For some, being bitten by Bear is a badge of honor, something they tell over and over _ad nauseam_.

**Shaw – School Nurse.** Her first name is Sameen, but students call her So-Mean because of her less than friendly manner. She was recently disciplined for posting an online profile on the dating site Angler that proclaimed that she drinks nightly and that she was "game for whatever…as long as I get to drive."***

Last year Shaw competed in the annual Nathan's hot dog eating contest at Coney Island where she beat all comers and consumed 75 hot dogs in ten minutes, but was disqualified when video footage revealed that she was using a steak knife to surreptitiously push the wieners in her mouth.

**Collier – Civics.** He mentors the Debate Club, oversees the student newspaper _Vigilance_ and reads the daily announcements over the intercom which unfortunately turns into a tirade about the evils of government.

Recently he was crushed to find out that the school's chief benefactor, John Greer, was using surveys and polls posted in the paper to collect data on students, staff and their families, and then reporting it to the local authorities.

**Root – Grounds.** Forbidden to touch any electronic equipment due to a plea bargain (She interrupted the President's State of the Union Address to broadcast a new version of Oregon Trail; ironically the President's approval ratings skyrocketed the next day) Ms. Groves spends her days tending the gardens around the school.

An unfortunate accident with a Control Super Weed Wacker has rendered her deaf in one ear.

She was heartbroken when news of Ms. Shaw's online profile was revealed and was found sobbing in the ruins of the old library, which has been torn down to make room for an all-digital system funded by Samaritan Industries.

**Carter - Auto Shop.** She seems to have unlimited access to a variety of vehicles for students to work on - motorcycles, police cruisers, a red truck, an ambulance, a taxi cab and last spring a slightly dented yellow sports car. Supposedly she dates Chemistry teacher Cal '18 Carat' Beecher, but nobody's ever seen them outside of work together.

When Fusco recently asked her about this, she looked at him quizzically and said, "It's an _office romance_, Fusco – I only see him at the office!" Lionel's made a note to talk to her about this in more detail during the staff's annual counseling sessions.

Students snicker that Mr. Beecher has 'no chemistry' with Ms. Carter, kinda like the experiments that fizzle in his lab.

**Reese – Cafeteria Lady.** Ill-tempered because he has to wear a hair net all day, criticism of his fare results in a rubber bullet to the knee and there are no food fights or other foolishness in his domain. Reese only softens when the comely Ms. Carter walks into the cafeteria. He saves the best food for her and watches Ms. Carter covetously during breaks, while he secretly takes dozens of photographs of her, even though he sees her every day.

Unbeknownst to Ms. Carter, it's Reese who delivers all those vehicles to the shop, preceded by a mysterious phone call before each delivery.

**Beecher – Chemistry.** Stunned to find out from Fusco that 'office romance' is a term, not a definition, Beecher rushes down the hall to the Auto Shop, narrowing avoiding a bite from Bear for running in the halls, eager to tell Carter that they can not only see each other out of work, but that he might even be able to kiss her.

He bursts into the shop, only to find Reese and Carter sitting together in one of the old cars in the darkened space. They leap out of the car, claiming they were only drinking coffee, but Reese's hairnet is askew and it looks like damp handprints are on Carter's leather dress.

Today's lunch menu features Joss Jambalaya, Carter Caesar Salad and Hello Detective Ding Dongs (with a special cream filling) for dessert.

After having a talk with the still heartbroken Root over Shaw's betrayal, Beecher realizes the menu might be a clue as to Carter's relationship with Reese.

Later that day in the staff lounge, Beecher asks Carter about her relationship with Reese. Carter swears that she and Reese are 'just friends' causing Shaw to fall to the floor laughing hysterically.

Collier texts a blind item to the newspaper staff while hectoring them all on invading people's privacy.

Bear tackles Reese and bites him in a fit of jealousy – he'd had a secret crush on Carter after spending a romantic moonlight stroll with her over a year ago when they saved Fusco from possible sanctions after digging up the body of a fellow HR counselor named Stills.

Finch hears the phone in the old telephone booth ringing and rushes to his office, only to find that it's not the plays of a cross town rival, it's nine numbers instead….

*Jim Caviezel will star in the upcoming film, _When the Game Stands Tall,_ about the De La Salle High School Football team which won 151 games in a row.

**Fusco asks Henry Peck this question in the S1 episode _No Good Deed_.

***From Shaw's dating profile in the S3 episode _Lady Killer_.

A/N: If you'd like to read about the new identities folks have come up with for the team, or would like to submit some yourself, the challenge is called Working Man/Woman. Have fun!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: We return to Machine High, featuring some new staffers, some shocking revelations, a scandal and a touching moment at the end.

"I thought you didn't need the wheelchair any more, Mr. Reese," Finch said as they watched Detective Szymanski escort the perpetrator into his police cruiser.

"I don't, but it was the perfect cover for watching our Number at the hospital, Finch. And you came along at the right time, to push me over those speed bumps. If you hadn't, he might have gotten away," Reese smirked.

"True, but launching yourself down the handicapped ramp, Mr. Reese, and running over the perpetrator was somewhat reckless."

"It saved our Number's life, Finch, and you have to admit, it was fun. I heard you say 'Whee!' while you were holding on to the back of the chair."

"I doubt such a word ever entered my mind, much less left my lips, but yes, it was…somewhat enjoyable, Mr. Reese. And it's good to see you smile again. I know the last several weeks have been difficult."

Reese nodded, but didn't say anything more as the two friends made their way back to Machine High.

The last few weeks had been tough on Cafeteria Lady Reese. Bear had bitten him in the stomach and thigh and while those wounds were healing, Reese had been confined to a wheelchair. His fellow staffers had gifted him with a doughnut like cushion with the words, _SS O. F. A_. – Old Fragile Ass, printed on it, and while Reese had at first refused to use the seating aid, long hours navigating the cafeteria kitchen had forced him to take advantage of it, much to his co-workers delight.

Reese could deal with the physical pain and the ribbing, but what had really hurt was Ms. Carter stating that they were 'just friends'. He had never declared his feelings for her, but that morning in the Auto Shop, Reese thought that she might have sensed how much he cared for her, and perhaps she might have even cared about him a little, too, despite her relationship with Beecher.

It had become sort of a routine for them to share a quick coffee while sitting in one of the latest vehicles to mysteriously show up at the shop. They would talk and she would run her small delicate hands over the interior showing him all the details, all the things she would have her students work on, and Reese would be mesmerized, barely holding back a groan when her hand would curl around a stick shift or an emergency brake, wondering what it would be like to have her hands touch him instead, fingers trailing over another type of long, hard cylinder topped with a swollen knob, his engine racing and throbbing beneath her as she put him through his paces over and over again.

Reese had just placed the coffees in the car's cup holders and was heading towards her office to tell her that he had arrived, when out of nowhere, she had careened into him in the darkness. The feel of her body against his was incredible and instinctively, his hands had slid over her waist and then gripped her luscious rear end. They stared at each other for a long moment, her hands on his chest, and then slowly stepped apart. Sweating, Reese had run his hand over his forehead, knocking his hairnet askew, only able to nod dumbly as Ms. Carter asked him if he was okay.

They sat in the car, sipping their coffees, and Reese had just gotten the courage up to ask her to join him and Bear in the park one afternoon - Bear needed to be in tip top shape for his work and Reese would launch various objects in the air for his friend to leap at and grasp in those powerful jaws – when Beecher, or Cal-cified, as Reese called the stolid Chem teacher, burst in.

The spell was broken, and Ms. Carter walked off with Beecher, Reese's sweaty handprints on her leather dress, while Reese wondered at what might have been.

As they turned toward Finch's office, Reese and Finch saw Ms. Carter at the end of the long hall, on her way to class. She waved at them, her smile dazzling even from a distance, and then slipped into her classroom, while Reese stood there, unable to hide the longing on his face.

Finch closed his office door. "If you would just tell her, John..."

"I can't, Finch. If she knew about the things in my past…"

"You can't be blamed for not knowing that the Cook's Institute of America was really a cover for the Central Intelligence Agency, John."

"Finch, the minute I saw that the first class was on how to make a green bean casserole," Reese shuddered at the memory, "I should have known they were evil. I still have nightmares about that fried onion topping." He raised an eyebrow at this friend. "What about - "

Harold's voice was low, but firm. "We're not going to discuss Ms. Hendricks, John." He turned to his screen. "We have a new Number, but it's not like anything I've ever seen before. When I find out what the Machine is actually referring to, I'll contact you immediately."

As Reese stood to head toward the cafeteria, Finch glanced at his friend's uniform. "I see Ms. Morgan is on campus today."

Reese grimaced. He was comfortable in his usual garb – a plain white shirt and modest black knee length skirt, support hose and sturdy rubber soled shoes, but today he had on a short tight black tank dress that highlighted his firm pectorals, broad shoulders and strong arms, his legs were bare and his feet were clad in bright pink wedge high top sneakers. A pink hairnet with the high school's logo embroidered into the netting completed his outfit.

Zoe Morgan was Machine High's Marketing and Community Relations liaison. She spent her time travelling the country touting the exclusive nature of Machine High to prospective students and their parents and smoothing over any issues with the locals. Part of Ms. Morgan's responsibilities included the look of the school from logos to the uniforms, including the outfit that Reese had on today.

After an evening in the Presidential Suite of the Coronet Hotel, rumors had rocketed through the school about Reese and Ms. Morgan, but all that had happened, Reese swore to skeptical listeners, was that she had asked him to try on a variety of uniforms, saying that the proper look was essential to improving community relations. Reese was supposed to test each prospective uniform on a weekly basis, but he only wore one of them when Ms. Morgan happened to be in town.

Today's getup barely covered Reese's rear end, and Harold mused that the only community 'relations' Ms. Morgan wanted to improve was with Reese, preferably between her thighs, but he refrained on commenting on that. "Perhaps you could persuade our mutual friend to explore a shade other than pink, John. The mockups for next year's team uniforms are a little too colorful for my taste. If you hadn't given her that Taser -"

"That was a freebie, Finch – order a dozen Mach-10s, get a Taser for free." It was lying on the kitchen counter when Ms. Morgan walked in unexpectedly as he was hiding the weapons in the one area of Machine High that nobody was ever interested in exploring - the commercial grade vegetable crisper. Giving Ms. Morgan the pink Taser had distracted her, but now she seemed to think that he had feelings for her.

Reese sighed as he left Finch's office. While he pretended not to, he loved his job as the Cafeteria Lady, and the work that he and Finch did saving Numbers helped redeem him from all the terrible things he had done in the past, all the instant mashed potatoes, boxed macaroni and cheese and other atrocities he had dealt to unsuspecting victims.

He'd come a long way from dealing death and destruction via bad food, but Reese didn't fool himself. Ms. Carter deserved a better man than him.

Reese stopped at the entrance to the cafeteria, then walked past it and went down the hall to the Auto Shop.

Ms. Carter and her students were bent over a gorgeous tricked out motorized wheelchair. The perpetrator had used it to get close to his intended victim, a wealthy older woman who was going through physical therapy due to a car accident, by pretending he was at the hospital for the same reason. The man had abandoned it trying to escape, and Reese had taken the chair with him when he and Finch had returned to the school and slipped it into the Auto Shop, leaving her a mysterious message as always.

She lifted her head, held up her hand as if she had gotten a phone call and then pointed to the wheelchair with a huge smile on her face.

Reese smiled softly back and then headed towards the cafeteria.

XXX

"Can you get that for me, Reese…nope, the one to the right…yep, and that one, too…"

During the morning break in the staff lounge, tiny Nurse Shaw kept asking Reese to get things off an upper shelf for her, smirking as Reese's short dress rode up on his thighs, exposing his starched white briefs, while Ms. Morgan sat there watching every move the Cafeteria Lady made.

As Ms. Morgan's mouth dropped open and her eyes became glassy and unfocused, the nurse shared a brief glance with Ms. Groves, and despite herself, Root smiled at her.

"Wonderboy, your frank and beans are showing," Fusco barked as he walked into the lounge, deftly wiping drool from Ms. Morgan's chin as she stared at Reese, who under Nurse Shaw's direction was now standing on a table, his muscular biceps flexing as he cranked open a series of high windows.

Flushing as he realized that his underwear was on full view to everyone in the lounge, Reese carefully held the hem of his dress down as he gracefully leapt to the floor, while Ms. Morgan cursed under her breath.

Collier shot Fusco a dirty look – he had already crafted a blind item called 'Today's Special?' speculating that the Cafeteria Lady was serving up much more than food, and was about to secretly take a photo of Reese's 'personal menu offering', when the counselor walked in and blocked his camera.

They all looked towards the door as Drama Coach Ian Murphy strolled in. After a successful career in dinner theatres across the country, Murphy settled in town just a few months ago, but had already cut a swath through many of the single female staffers. He touched Ms. Morgan's hand, winked at Ms. Groves and playfully stuck out his tongue at Nurse Shaw, and they all giggled and laughed as he sat down and chatted with them.

Ms. Carter walked in with Beecher, and while Murphy's eyes flickered over her for a moment, he merely nodded at her and turned his attention back to the other women.

Reese smiled as he left the lounge – for once, Ms. Carter's relationship with Cal-cified had come in handy.

He spent the rest of the morning getting lunch ready. Today's menu featured Joss Jicama Salad with your choice of Carter Curry Cream, Homicidal Jalapeno Sauce or an Arraignment Aioli to dip the crunchy vegetable in.

The cafeteria was full with students and staff as a vignette was being staged during lunch today to promote a drama showcase being held at Machine High next month.

Ian Murphy walked in and announced that the vignette being staged today was a first date.

Raising his voice over the Ooohs, Aaahs and laughter, he tossed back his wavy locks and declared that he would be playing the gentleman in the vignette. "And," he smiled, as anticipation in the room rose, "I am going to choose one of our lovely female staffers to play opposite me. Who will I select?"

Names were shouted out as he slowly circled the room, and Reese could see several staffers smoothing back their hair, wetting their lips and sticking out their chests in hopes of being selected.

A master at whipping up the crowd, Murphy smiled and winked and even whispered in a few ears, but didn't make a choice. Finally he went to the table where Nurse Shaw, Ms. Morgan and Ms. Carter were sitting together.

He held Nurse Shaw's hand.

He ran a finger over Ms. Morgan's cheek.

But it was Ms. Carter who he pulled to her feet. "Brains, beauty and the skill to handle tools," he smiled rakishly, "of _any_ size."

The crowd erupted in cheers as Murphy led Ms. Carter to the little stage erected at the front of the cafeteria. Murphy took a remote out of his pocket and clicked on it. The script appeared on a screen for the audience to follow, while the Drama Coach handed a copy of the script to Ms. Carter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Reese saw Bear cross the room and stand next to him. Things were still somewhat rocky between them after Bear's attack, but Reese nodded to the Security Head as they watched the vignette unfold.

Holding the scripts in their hands, Murphy and Joss went through the scene to a rapt audience and there were sighs around the room when the Drama Coach kissed Ms. Carter on the cheek.

Murphy turned to the audience. "As you can see, the script called for a kiss on the cheek, but –"

He swept a shocked Ms. Carter into his arms and kissed her passionately while the crowd went wild.

Reese clenched his fists, Bear growled softly and as he looked across the room, Reese saw Beecher's face darken in anger.

The three men exchanged a glance. Whatever their differences were, whatever their own hopes and dreams for a future with Ms. Carter, they were united in one thing.

Ian Murphy needed to be sent a message.

XXX

Later that afternoon, Bear summoned Reese and Beecher into his spacious office. The Security Head brought up a surveillance feed from outside the cafeteria, taken just after the skit concluded. The three men watched Ian Murphy hand Ms. Carter a business card.

"I'm looking for a faculty advisor for the Drama Club, Ms. Carter. You'd be perfect. The kids love you and you saw their reaction to us on stage."

Ms. Carter smiled and shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm no actress."

"You don't have to be. I need someone to go over scripts with me, try out different scenarios. It wouldn't interfere with your classes, I swear. I'm thinking we'd work together at night, at my place. I could make dinner."

Ms. Carter raised an eyebrow at him. "Sea bass and mushrooms, like the man in the script?"

"And wine, Ms. Carter, don't forget the wine, even though," he tapped the script in his hand, 'I doubt anything I serve would be as rich and full bodied as you'."

Reese rolled his eyes, Beecher stuck a finger in his mouth and made retching sounds and Bear flattened his ears as Murphy repeated a line from the script.

"I appreciate it, Mr. Murphy, but –"

"Ian. Please call me Ian. And you don't have to decide right now. Think about it. Call me anytime," his head tilted towards the card in her hand. "You've got my private number."

As Ms. Carter walked away, they could see the Murphy's eyes roaming over her body. He tapped his finger in the air and made a sizzling sound, then slowly made his way in the opposite direction.

Bear's paw slid a piece of paper across the desk.

It was a copy of Murphy's script. Ms. Carter's name was written multiple times on the paper. It was clear that she had been his choice from the start.

Pressing a button on his desk, Bear's low, heavily accented voice rumbled across the room. "We must do something. He is trying to take advantage of _my_ –" he looked at the two men across the desk from him, "_our_ Ms. Carter."

Beecher's mouth fell open in shock.

Bear could speak.

He turned to Reese, but the Cafeteria Lady shrugged.

"You knew? Who else knows?" Beecher asked.

Through the translator, Bear replied, "Finch, and," his voice softened, "Ms. Carter."

Reese and Bear had met when their respective agencies, the CIA and Interpol, had sent them undercover at the International Bratwurst Coalition convention to smoke out a group of terrorists determined to cause a worldwide panic on the eve of Oktoberfest by destroying the tasty treats.

They foiled the plan, then went their separate ways and lost touch. Reese had found Beer a few years ago wallowing in a tub of Kibble and Bits, despondent over a failed romance and a betrayal by his partner. Reese and Finch had taken Bear in, nursed him back to health and he had joined them at Machine High.

"Reese and Finch saved me, gave me a purpose," Bear said.

Beecher nodded. "Okay, but how did Ms. Carter know?"

Bear explained that fateful night when Ms. Carter and he were leaving to dig up Stills' body to save Fusco, Finch had handed her a list of commands, but the Auto Shop teacher had winked at Bear and said in flawless Dutch, "We don't need that, do we?"

Stunned, man and dog had gaped at her, but Ms. Carter explained that as an interrogator, she had worked with several elite dogs like Bear in the past and recognized how special he was right away.

Bear often said things aloud, but since he was a dog, spoke Dutch and his voice was low and gravelly, people assumed he was simply growling, but Ms. Carter understood what he was saying all along.

He closed his eyes. "I still howl at how passionate she was that night…how in tune we were with each other…the moon, her soft voice, her glistening skin - " his tail beat furiously against the back of his chair as he spoke.

Beecher shook his head. "What you were doing was illegal – if anyone had caught you, you would have gone to jail, that's why she was whispering and sweating!"

Bear's ears twitched. "You're just upset because I dated her first."

Beecher slammed his fist on the table. "_Dated_ – You were digging up a dead body!"

"We saved a friend."

Beecher leaned forward. "You actually think you can have a relationship with Ms. Carter?"

Bear nodded. "A lifelong bond was formed. A foundation for a beautiful future together."

"But – you're a _dog_," Beecher said incredulously. "Dogs and humans don't mix. It's unnatural. It's against the laws of God and ," he eyes flickered over Bear, "man."

"Bigot." Bear said.

Beecher jumped up, knocking his chair over. "Ms. Carter is _my_ girlfriend. I'll take care of Murphy, myself!" He stalked out.

Reese said to Bear in Dutch, as he picked Beecher's chair up. "You did go a little overboard, Bear."

Bear's ears swiveled in a circle. "This from the man who has secretly delivered over fifty modes of transportation to Ms. Carter's class, including a wheelchair this morning? A man who references everything on the menu to her? A man who has taken how many photos of her?"

Reese thought about it. "You… might have a point," Reese said. He tilted his head at his friend. "So…do we think Beecher's going to 'take care' of Murphy?"

The two men looked at each other for a long moment.

Reese's laughter and Bear's howls echoed throughout his office.

Heads bent together, they were mapping out their own plan for Murphy when Finch walked in. "Ah, I'm glad I found you, Mr. Reese. We have another Number, and unlike the one I received this morning, I know exactly whom the Machine is referencing." He nodded to the Security Head. "We could use your help on this one, too, Bear, if you are available."

Bear nodded. "Of course."

Reese and Bear shared a glance as they walked out of the office. Ian Murphy would have to wait.

XXX

Beecher paced angrily in his lab. Reese sharing coffee with Ms. Carter, Bear going on a moonlight excursion with her and now Murphy kissing her in front of the entire school!

There had to be some sort of regulation against that, he thought, something in the school's by-laws, but he had looked and there was nothing.

The Chemistry teacher considered contacting his godfather, Alonzo Quinn, who was head of the Machine High School Board or even the Teacher's Union President, Patrick Simmons, but all that would do, he realized was to let even more people know what had happened at lunch today. Based on the surveillance footage he saw, Murphy wouldn't be satisfied until he had Ms. Carter in his home.

And then, Beecher knew, Murphy planned on satisfying himself over and over again with her luscious body.

No, Beecher thought, he had to deal with Murphy himself. Only then would the Drama Coach, and any other man, or his lip curled, _beast_, accept that Ms. Carter was his.

Physically harming Murphy was out. All it would do is make everyone feel sorry for him and Beecher recoiled at the image of Ms. Carter sitting by his beside, feeding him or wiping his brow, as he recovered. Murphy had to be frightened, even humiliated enough to leave Machine High.

Unlocking a cabinet, Beecher began mixing several chemicals together. Before coming to Machine High, Beecher had worked for a pharmaceutical company developing different sleeping aids, and had developed a reputation for being able to put anyone to sleep, often by just looking at them. Swiftly he put a packet together and left the lab.

On his way out of the building, he stopped by the Drama Coach's office. It was decorated with mementos from Murphy's career in dinner theatre and posters of his favorite films.

Beecher smiled as he looked at one poster in particular. He headed back to the lab.

He was going to need a bigger batch.

XXX

As requested, the back door of Murphy's home was unlocked and Beecher and his companion were able to slip in easily.

The gift basket Beecher had ordered for his rival was on the kitchen table.

Beecher and his companion made their way to Murphy's bedroom.

The Drama Coach was nude, sprawled across his bed, a crumpled note in his hand. A bottle of wine and two glasses were on the nightstand, one half full with the wine Beecher had doctored with the sleeping potion and then substituted in the basket that was delivered to Murphy's home that afternoon.

'_Have a sip and then strip for me, Ian! Leave the door unlocked and I will rock your world!'_ – Your Machine High special friend

Swiftly Beecher undressed, then opened a large container.

There was a crock full of a red viscous fluid and a gigantic syringe inside.

He led his companion, an elderly horse from the high school's stables, over to the bed.

Murphy had a poster of the first _Godfather_ film in his office and Beecher planned on re-enacting a famous scene from that film.

He wasn't going to kill the horse, of course. Beecher planned on knocking him out and coating him with the blood like fluid and leaving him in Murphy's bed. He'd stripped so that he wouldn't get the stuff on his clothes.

Once done, Beecher would take the note and slip away.

A timed message had already been sent to Collier's phone and Beecher had no doubt that the Civics teacher would rush over immediately after he received it, and take damning photos of the scene.

This is one case where a human and an animal _do_ mix together, Beecher smiled as he pulled out the huge syringe filled with a sleeping potion.

Unfortunately for Beecher, the elderly horse had a weak heart and bad memories of the veterinarian's visit earlier that week.

At the sight of the huge syringe, the horse immediately had a fatal heart attack and fell on top of the Chemistry teacher, pinning him to the bed and crushing him to death.

'I never even got to kiss her' Beecher thought sadly, as he breathed his last breath.

XXX

An hour later, Reese and Bear made their way to Murphy's home. They had dispatched with the second Number Finch has received that day easily, and on a hunch had swung by the Drama Coach's place.

Beecher's truck and a horse trailer were in the driveway.

Curious, they made their way inside.

In their previous lives as spies and assassins, Reese and Bear had seen much, but never anything like this.

They stood there for a moment, stunned, and then set to work.

Bear grabbed the syringe.

Reese picked up the container that held the crock of fake blood.

Making sure there was no trace of their presence, they left.

As Reese drove away, Bear began humming softly. At first Reese didn't recognize the tune, but then he began to sing, "_Don't waste your time…"_

Bear responded, "_Because the doggone girl is mine…"_

"_The girl is mine…"_

"_Yeah, she's mine, mine, mine…"_

They disappeared in the darkness.

XXX

Ian Murphy walked out of the precinct. He could tell that they didn't believe them when he explained over and over again that he had woken up to the sight of a naked Beecher and a horse both dead in his huge bed and had no idea how they had gotten there.

As he walked to his car, he saw side long glances, heard whispers and outright laughter.

With a terrible feeling in his stomach, Murphy walked over to a newsstand. The vendor took a long look at him and then handed him a morning tabloid. "This one's free, buddy."

The headline read, _Cal and his Pal(s)._

A photo of himself, Beecher and the horse lying across the bed took up the whole page.

Other photos with captions like '_Midnight Stallion'_ '_Horsing Around'_, '_My Friend (and) Flicka'_ and _'Wil-l-l-bur, Mr. Ed is Dead' _were in the center of the newspaper.

A longtime performer, Murphy knew the show was over. Time to pull up stakes and find a new venue.

XXX

Later that morning, Reese walked into Finch's office. His friend nodded approvingly that Reese was back in his usual outfit. "No new Numbers today, Mr. Reese, but I did finally figure out what the Number the Machine has issued yesterday morning was referring to – it was the identification number of the horse that died tattooed on his body. When Bear joined the staff, the Machine realized that he didn't have a Social Security Number, but he did have an identification tattoo from his time in Interpol, so it added his and any other Machine High animal ID numbers to its files."

"Makes sense, Finch."

"Have you…" Finch turned from his screen and gazed at his friend, "spoken to Ms. Carter yet?"

"I…don't know what to say to her, Finch."

"You don't need to say anything, John. Just be her friend."

Reese nodded, left Finch's office and made his way to the cafeteria.

He walked into the Auto Shop with two cups of coffee.

Ms. Carter was sitting in her office, staring off into space. She looked up and gave him a soft smile.

"Thought you could use a cup of coffee, Ms. Carter."

"I can," she nodded, as he put the cups on her desk, "but I need a friend more." She stood up. "You're a good man, Cafeteria Lady John Reese."

Reese put his arms around Ms. Carter and held her. One day, he thought, he'd tell her how he felt, but Finch was right, just being her friend for now, was more than enough.

A/N: I think most folks have seen or heard about the scene in the 1972 film, _The Godfather_, but in case some of you haven't I won't repeat it here.


End file.
